- Haitian woman with Zika virus gave birth to baby in Florida, officials said
- Child has microcephaly – the shrunken head birth defect caused by Zika
- Baby is the fourth to be born in the U.S. after their mothers caught virus
- Cost of caring for the baby – who is a U.S. citizen – could cost $10million
Ollie Gillman For Dailymail.com
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A baby has been born in Florida with defects caused by the Zika virus after its mother traveled to the U.S. from Haiti to give birth.
The mother – who has not been identified – contracted Zika abroad before entering the country, officials said.
The child was born with microcephaly, a condition that causes babies to be born with shrunken heads and often leads to developmental issues.
The baby is the fourth child to be born in the U.S. with defects caused by Zika after their mothers contracted the incurable virus while abroad.
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A baby has been born in Florida with defects caused by the Zika virus after its mother traveled to the U.S. from Haiti to give birth. Pictured, a Aedes aegypti mosquito, the species that can carry the Zika virus
The Florida Department of Health confirmed the birth on Tuesday, but did not say when or at what hospital the baby was born.
The woman is a Haitian citizen, officials confirmed. It is not known whether she entered the country illegally.
The baby is a U.S. citizen because it was born on American soil, meaning the cost of the child’s care will likely be covered – at least in part – by the state.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated earlier this year that it costs between $1million and $10million to treat a child with microcephaly throughout their lifetime.
Florida Governor Rick Scott said: ‘It is heartbreaking to learn that a baby has been born with Zika-related microcephaly in our state and my thoughts and prayers are with the mother and child.’
The first baby in the U.S. with Zika-related birth defects was born in Hawaii in January.
The mother – who has not been identified – contracted Zika abroad before entering the country, officials said. Above, file picture of a baby born with microcephaly
Its mother is believed to have contracted the virus while living in Brazil, before returning to Hawaii to give birth in a hospital in Oahu.
Another child was born with microcephaly in New Jersey in June after its mother flew in from Honduras specifically for treatment.
The 31-year-old woman visited a doctor in Honduras after suffering a rash and a fever – both symptoms of Zika – but after an ultrasound she was told she would be fine.
She was eventually diagnosed with Zika in Honduras before she traveled to New Jersey, where she has relatives, Fox News Latino reported.
The young mother – whose name was not released publicly – may have entered the country on a tourist visa.
The US Customs and Border Patrol Agency declined to comment on the woman’s immigration status.
Another child (pictured) was born with microcephaly in New Jersey in June after its mother flew in from Honduras specifically for treatment
The young mother – whose name was not released publicly – may have entered the country on a tourist visa
A government report released earlier this month – before the birth of the child in Florida – said three babies with defects caused by the Zika virus had been born in the U.S., implying that another baby has been born with microcephaly.
Three other Zika-infected fetuses were ‘lost’, the report stated, though it did not say whether they were miscarried, stillborn or aborted.
There are currently 820 cases of adults with Zika in the United States. All the cases are connected to travel to areas with outbreaks of the mosquito-borne virus, primarily Latin America and the Caribbean. There has been no local spread of Zika in the U.S.
There is a range Zika-related birth defects. The most common, and most obvious, is microcephaly, which stunts the development of the baby’s brain, leaving the skull abnormally small.
Infected babies may also have excess fluid in and around the brain, abnormal eye development, clubfoot, inflexible joints, and calcium deposits in the brain.
Researchers estimate that for every 100 pregnancies involving women infected early in their pregnancy, one to 15 per cent will develop severe birth defects.
Fear of the virus spreading has led some athletes – such as golfer Rory McIlroy – to pull out of this summer’s Olympics in Brazil.
There is currently no cure for Zika in humans, but a successful vaccine trial using mice has led to further trials on humans being announced for later this year.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ZIKA
The zika virus is typically transmitted through bites from the same kind of mosquitoes – Aedes aegypti
WHAT IS ZIKA?
The Zika (ZEE’-ka) virus was first discovered in monkey in Uganda in 1947 – its name comes from the Zika forest where it was first discovered.
It is native mainly to tropical Africa, with outbreaks in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.
It appeared in Brazil in 2014 and has since been reported in many Latin American countries and Caribbean islands.
HOW IS IT SPREAD?
It is typically transmitted through bites from the same kind of mosquitoes – Aedes aegypti – that can spread other tropical diseases, like dengue fever, chikungunya and yellow fever.
It is not known to spread from person to person.
Scientists have found Zika can be transmitted sexually. The World Health Organization warned the mode of transmission is ‘more common than previously assumed’.
And, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said couples trying to conceive should abstain or wear condoms for six months if the male has confirmed or suspected Zika.
Additionally, the CDC said couples should abstain or wear condoms for eight weeks if the female has confirmed or suspected Zika, or if the male traveled to a country with a Zika outbreak but has no symptoms.
The first case of sexually transmitted Zika was reported in Texas at the beginning of February.
The patient became infected after sexual contact with a partner diagnosed with the virus after travelling to an affected region.
Prior to this outbreak, scientists reported examples of sexual transmission of Zika in 2008.
A researcher from Colorado, who caught the virus overseas, is thought to have infected his wife, on returning home.
And records show the virus was found in the semen of a man in Tahiti.
So far, each case of sexual transmission of Zika involves transmission from an infected man to his partner. There is no current evidence that women can pass on the virus through sexual contact.
The World Health Organization says Zika is rapidly spreading in the Americas because it is new to the region, people aren’t immune to it, and the Aedes aegypti mosquito that carries it is just about everywhere – including along the southern United States.
Canada and Chile are the only places in the Americas without this mosquito.
ARE THERE SYMPTOMS?
The majority of people infected with Zika virus will not experience symptoms.
Those that do usually develop mild symptoms – fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes – which usually last no more than a week.
There is no specific treatment for the virus and there is currently no vaccine to protect against infection, though several are in the developmental stages.
CAN THE SPREAD BE STOPPED?
Individuals can protect themselves from mosquito bites by using insect repellents, and wearing long sleeves and long pants – especially during daylight, when the mosquitoes tend to be most active, health officials say.
Eliminating breeding spots and controlling mosquito populations can help prevent the spread of the virus.
Officials warn people not to leave open containers with water out. Female mosquitoes lay eggs in water, fueling the spread.
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